Reserva de la Biosfera La Sepultura
Finally we visited Reserva de la Biosfera La Sepultura, one of the main ecological reserves of Chiapas! What a thrill! Two families with children of 7 and 9 years old stayed 3 days and 2 nights at the Sierra Morena Ecotourism Center and we had a great time. Nature amazed us with its beauty and richness and the community surprised us with its quality and warmth. We did three guided walks. I want to emphasize that the guides are professionally prepared, as well as the cooks and the other people in the community who took care of us. Meals are delicious, clean and airy cabins are set in a quiet nature surroundings.
Who are Sierra Morena: They are people from the community, ejidatarios proud of their land and committed to the conservation of natural resources. Through their actions and services they want to share this wonderful place with their visitors.
Mission: Safeguard our natural resources, offer responsible, respectful and honest alternative tourism; as well as offering quality service.
Services: The center offers the opportunity to hike. It has accommodation in dorms with capacity for 16 people and 2 rooms with bathrooms and a meeting room. There is a restaurant preaparing food for visitors. It has several trails to appreciate the fauna and vegetation. There is a telephone, electricity, and a clinic in the village.
Reserva de la Biosfera La Sepultura:The area is of 167,309 hectares, and 13,759 ha. of it corresponds to five core areas and 153,550 hectares. makes for the buffer zone. It is part of the municipalities of Pijijiapan, Tonalá and Arriaga, along the coast; Villaflores, Villacorzo and Jiquipilas, for the central depression of Chiapas.
30% of the 406 species of vertebrates are subject to different pressures that threaten their population.
There are 236 species of birds reported, corresponding to 34% of the species reported in Chiapas and 21% in the country. 19 species out of the total reported species, are listed as threatened, 7 endangered, 50 rare and 7 are subject to special protection.
Fauna: Among the animals that inhabit the region, the following stand out: solitary eagle, turkey buck, trogons, toucans, ranger, jaguar, deer, tepezcuintle, spider monkey, badgers, among others.
Flora: There are four types of vegetation: medium sub-evergreen forest, pine-oak forest, cloud forest and secondary vegetation. Among the plant species, some stand out for their importance: pine tree, cattail, oak, liquidambar, ramrod, mulatto, oak, cork, camedor palm and pacayón.
Activities: hiking, bird watching, mountain biking, learning about sustainable development such as coffee and the camedor palm.
How to get there: It is easier and closer than we think, to access from San Cristobal or Tuxtla. Driving from San Cristobal to the Sierra Morena Ecotourism Center took us three and a half hours. We made guided walks from the center into La Sepultura. When leaving from San Cristobal, drive in the direction of Tuxtla and follow to Villaflores (via Suchiapa) – then continue to Francisco Villa. From Francisco Villa, continue for 36 kms on the dirt road in the direction of Tonala until you get to Sierra Morena (it’s all the way stright and there is a couple of wooden signposts on the way).
Photos and videos of Sierra Morena and Sepultura you will find on our Instagram and YouTube channel. Don’t forget to subscribe!
